Advertiser begins $82M project
By Frank Cho
Advertiser Staff Writer
The Honolulu Advertiser broke ground yesterday on a new $82 million printing facility in Kapolei that will improve its ability to deliver news around the island and expand its printing capabilities.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
The Advertiser, Hawai'i's largest newspaper with a paid daily circulation of more than 150,000 papers, is building the plant on nearly 12 acres in Kapolei. The 147,000-square-foot facility, almost double the size of the newspaper's downtown printing plant, will house modern press equipment, newsprint storage, and a state-of-the-art distribution center. A portion of the building will be used for office space.
Kahu Kaleo Patterson offers a blessing at the groundbreaking for The Honolulu Advertiser's press facility in Kapolei. From left are Gerry Majkut, Roland Libby, Bill Bogert, Charles Lau, Andy Friedlander, Mike Fisch, Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, Ronald Zlatoper, Dennis Francis and Clint Churchill. They hold ceremonial 'o'o to break the ground.
Many of The Advertiser's operations — including business, editorial and advertising — will remain at its Kapi'olani Boulevard headquarters, but roughly 200 employees will work at the new Kapolei facility.
"We are pleased and excited to be breaking ground on The Advertiser's new publishing facility because it is the largest, most significant capital improvement in our 146-year history," said Mike Fisch, president and publisher of The Advertiser.
Fisch said the new plant will position The Advertiser for growth and also will mean more employment opportunities for the community with jobs that will pay between $18 and $30 an hour.
The paper said the Kapolei site was chosen because of its central location, allowing newspapers to be delivered more quickly to readers in neighborhoods around the island. Newsroom writers and designers will transmit their work to the printing plant through broadband digital cable.
"This is a great example of (economic investment) we are looking for," said Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona, who attended yesterday's blessing and groundbreaking ceremony. "Kapolei, and Hawai'i, needs to attract more businesses like this."
Designed by AM Partners, the plant is scheduled for completion in June 2004. Dick Pacific Construction Co. Ltd. is the general contractor, with Maryl Group Inc. and RHS Lee Inc. handling the infrastructure and site work respectively.
The Advertiser's presses are more than 30 years old and need replacing, the paper said.
"The community will be better served through our improved printing capabilities and more efficient distribution, and the investment to the local economy represents a major commitment by The Advertiser to be Hawai'i's Newspaper for generations to come," Fisch said.
At more than 200 feet long and 60 feet high, the two offset presses will allow The Advertiser to print up to 70,000 copies an hour each and have the capability to print a 64-page paper with color on every page. The new presses also will provide higher-quality resolution so images in the newspaper will be clearer and sharper, an attractive element for readers as well as advertisers.
Dennis Francis, The Advertiser's general manager, said advertisers are increasingly demanding more and better color reproduction for their advertisements in the newspaper — something that the paper's current presses have limited.
"This Sunday, we had no more capacity for everyone who wanted color because of the limitation of our presses," Francis said. "Now, we will be able to have color on every page and the flexibility the new presses give us will allow more use of graphics with stories."
Reach Frank Cho at 525-8088, or at fcho@honoluluadvertiser.com.
